Choices

For several years, I have subscribed to a daily e-mail humor list called Mikey's Funnies. This service was the source of many of the thoughts of the day that I used to include on tests that I gave to my students. Each daily e-mail consists of a humorous or inspirational (or sometimes both) story. The following story is from a recent e-mail. The author of this particular one is Michael Halleen. 


I CHOOSE
By Michael Halleen

"I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Psalm 91:2)

Mrs. S. had lived alone for many years and got out only with the help of a wheelchair. Every Sunday she wheeled herself into the side aisle of our sanctuary (one without handicap access) where she worshiped enthusiastically. She always seemed to be "up." People smiled when they were around her.

One evening Mrs. S. spoke to the youth of the church and was asked how she could always be so alive, so full of joy. She responded, "Because I *choose* to. I had no choice about living the last half of my life as a widow or having one of my sons killed in the Korean War. And I certainly I didn't choose to have to ride around in this chair for the past ten years. But one thing I did choose - to be happy. I decided to make the best of every day and to see the best in every person."

A friend who had been a missionary in South America told me of taking some American visitors through his city. One of them spotted a beautiful, large poinsettia tree in front of a small house as they passed by. The visitor wanted to take a picture and, not realizing that the plant was brittle, reached up to pull down a branch for the camera. A six-foot length of flame-red poinsettia snapped to the ground.

At that moment the woman of the house stepped out of the door and confronted the gringos standing there, poinsettia branch in hand. Humiliated, they offered to pay for her loss. But they could no more fix the personal damage than they could repair the tree. Still, instead of adding to their embarrassment, the woman cheerfully asked them in for tea. She chose to forgive them, to overlook their clumsy behavior. She chose to offer them grace.

Nothing is more crucial to the quality of our lives than the choices we make about how we approach the circumstances and relationships of each day. In the end it is that attitude which largely determines the outcomes we will find. The Lord made today, but it is we who decide how we will live in it. I *choose* God as my refuge . . . I *choose* to believe . . . I *choose* to find a way.

Life is all about choices, isn't it? No matter what happens to us, we get to choose how we react to it. We would not have chosen any of the trials that we have faced recently. We do get to choose to remain faithful. We get to choose to keep trusting. We get to choose not to give up. We do get to choose to hand over these worries to God. You chose to read this post. I hope that you are pleased with that choice.

In transplant journey news, Donor Candidate #3 travels out to Phoenix this week for testing and evaluation. Please pray that she and her husband have a good trip and for good results from the tests.

"Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15
 

Thank God for Copperheads

I am not a big fan of snakes, but a group of copperheads does hold a special place in my heart. They changed my life. They don't have any idea what they have done, and I don't think they really care. I appreciate them anyway.

These copperheads decided to go to a church camp in south Texas during the summer of 1986. I don't know what they wanted to get out of the experience, but I'm glad they went. I hope they had fun.

They had the camp all to themselves. A group of kids from San Antonio was supposed to go to that camp, but the camp was closed due to the snakes. Those kids had to go to another camp instead. This new camp was Camp Inspiration (also affectionately known as Camp Perspiration) in Eastland, TX. Eastland is known more for horned toads than snakes.

The group of kids from San Antonio were led by two young counselors. The young lady was the pastor's daughter. She had a heavy Tennessee accent. She could sing very well, and the camp director talked her into leading the worship at the camp. Oh yeah, she was very pretty as well.

She met and flirted with a counselor from a church in Dallas. They spent a lot of time together during the week of camp. After the camp was over, they wrote back and forth. He even went to visit her in San Antonio.

A couple of months later, she dumped him. It had happened to him before, so it was okay.

The young lady decided to go to college in Oklahoma City. The guy played on his church's softball team. Every Labor Day, they participated in a national tournament...in Oklahoma City. The tournament was sponsored by a local college...the one that the young lady attended. She decided to watch some of the games. They saw each other and spent some time together over the weekend.

Then, they didn't have any contact with each other...until the next Labor Day tournament...where they spent some time together...then there was no contact...until the next tournament.

This routine was getting a little old for both of them. She had dated just about everybody at the college. He had closure for his other failed relationships, but not for this one. Individually they had both decided that if they were to get together again, it might very well be for good this time.

They wrote letters to each other before the tournament. They wrote to each other after the tournament. She came down to the Dallas area to help celebrate his birthday. He made several weekend trips to Oklahoma. They talked about where the relationship might be headed. They prayed about it and decided that they would spend the rest of their lives together.

He proposed on a very cold December evening...on the bleachers of the softball field where they found each other again. She said yes, as he desperately hoped she would.

After that semester at college, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Her parents had moved there during the previous year due to her mom's health. Their wedding took place on a very hot August afternoon in Phoenix, kind of like the weather here in Texas lately.

They didn't realize it until later, but the wedding took place on the same day (August 11) that they met four years earlier.

Happy anniversary, Missy! I love you now more than ever.

Thank you, copperheads.